Jill Gruppen – Director/Secretary
City Clerk, Hudsonville

Jill’s journey into local government began in high school with her 10th grade government class. The route to serving, though, took longer than most people who switch majors from education to political science halfway through their junior year of college. She spent 13 years working in the private sector after graduation, trying to find the right fit. During that time, she also worked elections as an election inspector, mostly for the City of Holland.

In 2020, Jill found her fit, by way of local government, when she was hired as Deputy Clerk for the City of Hudsonville. A year later, she was honored to be appointed City Clerk in August 2021. Since then, Jill has earned her MiPMC certification (2024) and is working toward getting her CMC designation—just a few experience points to go! Jill also had the privilege of serving on the Ottawa County Clerk’s Association board in several roles: Secretary, Vice President (briefly!), and President.

When not working, you’ll probably find Jill cheering on the Griffins and Red Wings, traveling (Croatia, Ireland, Guatemala, and Greece are her top picks), reading a good book, camping, helping with youth programs at her church, or spending time with her nieces and nephews—spoiling them thoroughly before handing them back to her brothers!

Sarah Stoltzfus – Director/Conference Vice Chair
City Clerk/Treasurer, DeWitt

Sarah Stoltzfus began her career with the City of DeWitt in 2015 as an Administrative Specialist. Through dedication and hard work, she earned a promotion to her current position as City Clerk-Treasurer, a role she was appointed to in 2023. In 2019, Sarah achieved her Certified Michigan Municipal Clerk (MiPMC) certification, currently has her MiPMC2, and is continuing to pursue her Master Municipal Clerk designation.

She is a graduate of Lake Superior State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice–Corrections with a minor in Psychology. Originally from northern Michigan, Sarah relocated to the DeWitt area in 2013, where she currently resides with her husband and daughter.

Sarah is deeply committed to serving the city and actively seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge in all aspects of her profession. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors—fishing, hiking, hunting, rock hunting, camping, and going for long runs—as well as reading, learning new line dances, and making memories with friends and family.

She looks forward to continuing her career in the community she and her family call home.

Kyle Whitney – Director/Ways & Means
City Clerk, Marquette

Kyle has served as the Marquette City Clerk since September 2020 and currently serves as the co-president of the Marquette County Clerks Association.

He began working in municipal government in 2013 and was appointed deputy clerk for the City of Marquette in 2015. While he’s now spent more than a decade in the clerking world, the path that led him here wasn’t always clearly marked — in fact, the signage was so bad that, at several points, Kyle thought he was heading somewhere else entirely. But throughout, Kyle has been guided by two constants: a desire to serve the public and improve his community; and a love of learning, puzzles, problem-solving, and creative solutions.

As many people reading this can attest to, Kyle’s current role provides a steady (torrential? unyielding?) stream of problem-solving challenges and opportunities to learn. Just as importantly, it offers the space to attempt to improve his community. Often, that community has been Kyle’s neighborhood, city, and county. Now, that community includes clerks statewide, and MAMC.

On a personal note, Kyle lives in Marquette with his wife and 10-year-old son. In his spare time, Kyle enjoys hiking, camping, and reading books, often about people who died a long, long time ago.